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Mt. Red - A Symbol of Thrill

Accessible by Sonic and Knuckles, this part takes place in the heart of Angel Island's mountain range. Watch out for a spring at the start of the level, after the first rocket boost, and a trail of rings which Sonic can Light Dash across to another rocket and two extra lives. These short-cuts come in useful when playing for the A-Rank. Sonic's level ends after a zipline to a trapdoor near the base of a mountain.

Gameplay as Knuckles is straightforward, though the size of the stage, and the vast number of platforms and levels, make searching for the emerald shards a frustrating experience. Watch the Emerald radar closely, and look out for the hint orbs littered around the stage.

Red Hot Skull

This area is accessible by Sonic and E-102 and is set deep within an active volcano. The gameplay on Sonic's version is again, simple. Starting off at the end of a simple passage, Sonic must navigate past crumbling rocks and rising lava to a rocket at the end of the stage. Speed is essential in most parts, and slowing down for any reason is not recommended. At one point a trail of rings is visible, allowing a shortcut as Sonic, however when charging up the Light Dash, the orbs of light swirling around him will trigger a nearby pathway to crumble and collapse, leaving this the only path for escape. The level ends after a series of flaming skulls, giant hammers and spiders, when Sonic is shot up into the air and onto the Egg Capsule.

E-102's gameplay is a little more complex. Being heavier than Sonic, Gamma cannot be bounced as high from springboards, and cannot run up curved pathways. Therefore, the player must navigate a series of crumbling platforms directly above the lava. The Jet Booster comes in useful as a substitute to Sonic's jump dash. The level ends after the destruction of E-104.